Haudenosaunee Journey creates connections
Participants travel to three institutions to build Aboriginal and academic relationships
When the bus rolled out of Brantford
on May 14, the 24 passengers were a
little unsure of what lay ahead. After
all, the participants came from several
different communities, many didn’t
know one another well, and some
didn’t know each other at all. But
three days, three campuses and 1,100
kilometres later, bonds were formed,
ideas shared and insights gained.
The trip was called the
Haudenosaunee Journey —
Haudenosaunee being members of
the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida,
Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and
Tuscarora nations. The aim of the
journey was to develop stronger
relationships between Laurier and
educational leaders in the region’s
Aboriginal communities, while
learning more about the cultural,
social and educational challenges of
Aboriginal communities. The journey
also provided a chance to learn more
about Indigenous Studies programs
and Aboriginal support services at
other universities.
The participants included
representatives from the Six Nations,
the Mississaugas of the New Credit
and the Metis, along with Laurier
faculty, staff and students from the
Brantford and Waterloo campuses.
The three-day itinerary included
stops at the University of Toronto,
Trent University in Peterborough, and
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
The idea for the journey came
from Lesley Cooper, acting principal/
vice-president of Laurier’s Brantford
campus: “It is important for Laurier
as an educational institution to reach
out to our Aboriginal neighbours and
try to understand their heritage, their
needs and their issues,” she said.
Ava Hill, a member of the Six
Nations elected council who has
been involved in Aboriginal affairs
at the national and local levels,

6

agreed: “Establishing relationships
and networks — that’s what makes
the world go around,” said Hill. “It is
important that we take part in each
other’s activities because that promotes
understanding.”
Andrea King-Dalton, acting director
of education for the Mississaugas
of the New Credit, also appreciated
the opportunity to discuss issues
related to Aboriginal education with
staff and faculty from Laurier and
from the host universities. “From the
outside looking in, I think you need
to be commended for engaging in
dialogue,” she said.
Laurier has been strengthening its
Aboriginal support services over the
past few years. In 2010, the university
created the Office of Aboriginal
Initiatives and appointed Jean Becker
as senior advisor. A member of the
Nunatsiavut Territory of Labrador,
Becker had previously spent four years
as the elder-in-residence with the
Aboriginal Field of Study program at
Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work.
At the time of Becker’s appointment,
Laurier President Max Blouw
said: “Aboriginal youth are underrepresented in post-secondary

education, and there is a recognized
need for universities to provide the
necessary support so that Aboriginal
students can reach their goals as
individuals and as members of the
larger Canadian society.”
Support for Aboriginal programs
is highlighted in the university’s
Academic Plan, which “recognizes the
unique heritages of Aboriginal peoples
and supports the intentions of First
Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to
preserve and express their distinctive
indigenous cultures, histories and
knowledge through academic
programming and co-curricular
activities.” As well, Laurier Brantford’s
Strategic Plan includes a goal to
deepen relationships with Aboriginal
people and communities.
The university has also invested in
Aboriginal student recruitment and
retention programs, and is reaching
out to Aboriginal youth in the
community through such programs
as the ILAJI March Break Camp for
those 8-15 and the annual High School
Friendship Lacrosse Tournament,
which draws students from the Six
Nations and the Mississaugas of the
New Credit.